WILLIAMSBURG (Mich.) – Tom Doak, a young golf architect, was just starting out when he laid his first flags near Traverse city at the High Pointe Golf Club which opened in 1989. He’s now getting help from another newcomer to the industry in bringing back much of the course.
Doak was only 26 when he designed High Pointe. He spent more than 60 hours per week sculpting the course that climbed up a steep hill and through dense forest. High Pointe greens are the only ones he has shaped himself, even after building dozens of courses.
High Pointe was not treated well in the following decades. Despite achieving a high level of recognition, its former owners closed it down after the 2008 season. The closure was more of a reflection of the financial difficulties and lack of interest of the owners than a criticism of the design. Doak moved on to better and bigger projects, establishing his reputation as one of the most talented modern golf architects. The Michigan resident never forgot his first design, which had been converted to a hops farm.
While High Pointe’s daily fee business failed, the interest in its layout did not. Architecture fans often speculated about a revival of Doak’s first course. There were still many holes in the ground.
Rod Trump is the answer. Rod clarifies that he has no connection to the former president. This question is asked so often, Rod does it early on in a conversation. Trump, an investor who’s had success in the tech sector, wanted to purchase a golf club and enter a business that he thought he would love. He has not only provided working capital but also a seemingly endless reservoir of enthusiasm since partnering with Doak in order to revive High Pointe into an elite national club.
Trump said that anyone who is a golf architecture fan and has heard this story will be instantly captivated. “I don’t think Tom has… I wouldn’t call it a following like a cult, but people that love Tom, they love Tom. He is a very authentic person, and that is what he is.
“I suppose we’re dreamers all in some way.” The deeper I got into the story, the more it intrigued me. “It has turned out to be a more compelling story than what I thought it would be.”
